GDC announces 2016 fee

ARF to remain at the same level as 2015

23 November, 2015 / infocus
 

Despite widespread opposition from the dental profession and the British Dental Association (BDA), the General Dental Council (GDC) has announced the 2016 ARF level will remain at the controversial £890 figure.

Last year the BDA took the GDC to the High Court over the 55 per cent increase in fees and a judicial review found that the regulator’s consultation was in fact illegal.

However, the fee for dentists remained unchanged and, after it’s latest consultation, the GDC has recommended no further increase of decrease to the ARF.

A statement from the regulator read:

“After careful consideration of all the responses received, the Council has decided that the ARF should remain the same as last year: £890 for dentists and £116 for dental care professionals.

“We are grateful for the feedback received and we will publish our full response to the consultation on Wednesday, 25 November.

“We are committed to working with our partners to making dental regulation more efficient and effective. In part, the 2016 ARF will allow the GDC to invest in efficiencies, including the changes arising from the imminent changes in the law that will enable us to streamline fitness to practise hearings.

“We have a long-term ambition of reducing the ARF as improvements and efficiencies to dental regulation are realised. We look forward to working with our partners to make these changes, which will benefit the public, patients and the dental team.

“The ARF will also allow us to begin to replenish our currently low reserves, enabling us to effectively manage risk and unforeseen events and continue to carry out our statutory functions.

“The fees charged to dentists and dental care professionals cover the GDC’s work to set standards, investigate complaints and register members of the dental team.”

And speaking in response to the decision, chairman of the General Dental Council Bill Moyes, said: “We are grateful for the time that many people have set aside to give us their views and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by many dentists and dental care professionals. We hope the improvements to the GDC’s procedures that will be seen in 2016 will go some way to address that strength of feeling.

“We look forward to working with our partners in achieving our ambition to improve value for money, efficiency and effectiveness, and in ensuring that the system for handling complaints, concerns and feedback is as streamlined as it can be with the most appropriate body dealing with issues that are appropriate for them.”

Tags: ARF / BDA / GDC

Categories: News

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